Chapter 117: Zhang Family’s Thank-You Gift

Chapter 117: Zhang Family's Thank-You Gift

The next morning, after the banquet, Deng Changmei was married and escorted by her relatives and the matchmaker, Deng Shirong.

Deng Changmei shed tears as she bid farewell to her parents. Mr. and Mrs. Deng Yunjin, as parents, also had tears in their eyes.

It took nearly an hour and a half to walk from Thatchfield Village to Long Field Village. Deng Changmei, accompanied by the matchmaker and the wedding guests, stopped at the fork in the road between Long Field Village and Darongshu Village.

The "scouts" sent by the groom's family had been keeping an eye on the bride's progress. When they saw the bride's party had stopped, they rushed back to report to the groom's family.

Soon, the groom, Zhang Kangmei, set out with the wedding party and, within ten minutes, met the bride and her entourage.

After exchanging greetings, Zhang Kangmei handed Deng Changmei a red envelope he had prepared earlier.

Deng Changmei, not wanting to cause any trouble, accepted the red envelope without checking the amount and continued her journey under the escort of the wedding party.

The marriage process followed the usual customs, so it won't be detailed here.

After returning from paying respects to the ancestors, the Zhang family's relatives and friends gathered around the bride, asking her to open the dowry box to see what treasures it held and how much dowry her parents had given.

Deng Changmei was confident and openly displayed the contents of the dowry box to the Zhang family's relatives and friends.

"Oh my, there's so much Dacron fabric!"

"Wow, the bride's dowry is quite substantial!"

"Not bad at all. There's even 280 yuan in the dowry. It seems the bride is quite favored in her parents' home!"

After seeing the dowry, the Zhang family's relatives and friends praised her, filling Deng Changmei's face with smiles.

Once the wedding rituals were complete, the Zhang family began the banquet before noon.

As the matchmaker, Deng Shirong sat at the same table as the wedding guests. In this era, the groom and the matchmaker were the most honored guests at a wedding banquet, unlike in later generations where prominent figures or leaders took that role.

The Zhang family, being carpenters for three generations, were among the more well-off families in the countryside. They set up eight tables, and the banquet was considered lavish for the time. Alongside the essential dishes of meatballs, egg rolls, and braised pork, there were also boiled chicken, pork with celery and garlic, bamboo shoots, sweet lotus root, peanut candy, sauerkraut with pickled garlic sprouts, stir-fried vegetables, stir-fried sweet potatoes, and a pork bone lotus root soup.

While this couldn't compare to the banquet at Deng Yuntai and Zhang Xiuping's wedding, it was still an impressive feast for the era, earning praise from the guests.

By around one in the afternoon, most guests had finished eating and began to bid farewell to the hosts.

When most of the guests had left, the wedding party approached Deng Changmei to say their goodbyes.

"Amei, it's getting late. We have to go back."

"Amei, live well here. We'll come to pick you up in three days."

"Amei, from today on, you're someone else's daughter-in-law. You can't act as casually as you did at your parents' home. Learn to get along with your in-laws..."

"Amei..."

As her relatives offered advice, Deng Changmei's eyes welled up with tears.

In this era, brides typically shed tears three times during their wedding:

The first time was the night before the wedding, when discussing the upcoming marriage with relatives.

The second time was when saying goodbye to her parents before leaving for the groom's home.

The third time was when the wedding party departed...

Deng Shirong, being both the matchmaker and a member of the bride's family, waited until the others had finished speaking before stepping forward. "Amei, this is your home now. Live well with your husband. If you're ever wronged, come back and tell Uncle Jiu. I'll stand up for you."

Deng Changmei wiped her tears and smiled, "I know, Uncle Jiu."

Afterward, Deng Shirong and the others bid farewell to the Zhang family and left under Deng Changmei's reluctant gaze.

By the time Deng Shirong returned home, it was already three in the afternoon. About half an hour later, the groom's family sent someone to deliver a thank-you gift.

Among the three couples Deng Shirong had matched, Zhang Kangmei's family was undoubtedly the most well-off. When Deng Shirong had previously hired three generations of the Zhang family to help with furniture-making, he had paid them generously. This, combined with the Zhang family's satisfaction with the marriage, led to an exceptionally generous thank-you gift.

The red envelope alone contained 38 yuan.

In addition, there was a pork butt weighing about twelve pounds, twenty pounds of braised pork, a two-pound box of five-spice dish, two packs of cigarettes, two bottles of wine, two packs of tea, sandworms, candy cakes, glutinous rice, sticky rice, wheat, noodles, sesame seeds, peanuts, black beans, soybeans, red beans, and mung beans, each weighing two pounds.

Zhang Xiuping was stunned by the abundance of gifts.

She estimated that the pork butt and five-spice dish were worth about fourteen yuan, the braised pork over twenty yuan, the sandworms around seven yuan, and the cigarettes, alcohol, and tea a few yuan. Even the less valuable items added up to about ten or eight yuan.

In total, including the 38 yuan in the red envelope, the gifts were worth over ninety yuan. Even if her calculations were off, it was still an incredibly generous thank-you gift.

After the gift-givers left, Zhang Xiuping couldn't help but ask, "Dad, do the groom's families usually give such lavish thank-you gifts?"

Deng Shirong smiled and replied, "Of course not. In the current matchmaking market, half of this amount would already be considered very generous. I think there are several reasons why the Zhang family gave such a substantial gift."

Deng Yunzhen interjected, "Dad, what are the reasons?"

Deng Shirong speculated, "First, the Zhang family is relatively well-off.

Second, when I hired three generations of the Zhang family to help with furniture-making, I paid them well. This generous gift might be their way of reciprocating.

Third, the Zhang family is very satisfied with this marriage.

Lastly, our family is doing well now, and the Zhang family likely wants to strengthen their relationship with us.

Of course, these are just my guesses. Only the Zhang family knows their true reasons."

Zhang Xiuping nodded, "Dad, your reasoning makes sense. I think the Zhang family probably feels the same way."

Deng Yunzhen agreed, "I think so too, Dad."

Deng Shirong smiled and said, "Regardless of their reasons, since they've sent the gifts, we'll accept them graciously."

(End of Chapter)